Turnabout Copycat
by justanothrgirl
Summary: When Franziska von Karma becomes the victim of a botched hit attempt with a single card left on her, Miles Edgeworth is pitted together with Klavier Gavin, rock-and-roll prosecutor extraordinaire, along with a genius but hard-headed detective who may have a past with the de Killer name, to find Shelly de Killer once and for all.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: First Ace Attorney story! I'm really excited about it. I tried to make the characters sound like themselves, but there is probably a bit of OOC-ness. My timeline may also be a bit wonky with where these characters would've been at in 2024.**

 **Naomi Akiyama has a some elements of L, Near, and Mello from Death Note, Sherlock Holmes, and a little Nancy Drew (I kind of love detectives haha).**

 **Please read and review! Happy reading! :)**

 **Date: ? Time: ?** **  
** **Location: ?**

"I can pay you a lofty fee," a woman's voice said over the phone. Her voice was low and frantic, with a sense of urgency. Justice Jenkins was well aware that she had reached the point of no return. There was no turning back from this, but she didn't care.

She awaited a response from the other end of the line. Beads of sweat started to form on her head, and Justice was suddenly paranoid that someone would barge into her tiny studio apartment. Better yet, that it was being bugged and someone would hear her every word and bust her on the spot. She was half-inclined to repeat her statement, but she tried her best to quell her impatience.

Finally, she heard a soft crackling on the other end. "Name your request." The voice was mechanical and obviously distorted. She had expected as much. After all, Shelly de Killer had to be careful to cover up his tracks. de Killer was an assassin that had been around for about 100 years. Justice wasn't sure who succeeded each one or how they were chosen, but she didn't care.

For the past seven years, Justice was dedicated to catching and imprisoning people like de Killer. In another world, she would be chasing his whereabouts, not requesting his services. But times change. People change.

"Her name is Franziska von Karma," Justice said, referring to the prized prosecuting prodigy. Franziska had made quite a name for herself in Germany, America, and even with Interpol. She was a force to be reckoned with, and a true challenger in the courtroom. Justice even had the pleasure of working with her a few times. Yet the name now left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Justice sat at her desk, with a dim lamp on, and stared at the newspaper in her hand. _Prosecutor Franziska von Karma Receives Prestigious King of Prosecutors Award_ was the headline. Just looking at it brought more feelings of rage inside of her. There was Franziska, with a fierce stare into the camera, as though she couldn't be bothered with silly awards and couldn't be bothered to smile at them either. Just below it was a different article: _Serial Murderer Jefferson Jenkins Found Dead in Prison Cell._ It was much smaller; just a small sliver of space in the newspaper. Her father's mug shot was the photo they used. An prison riot had led to one of the other inmates to murder her father while he was serving a life sentence. A life sentence that he didn't deserve. A life sentence handed down to him by Franziska von Karma. Justice didn't care what anyone said or what the evidence supposedly proved, she knew her father would never, _ever_ do such horrible things. It was all Franziska's fault.

Someone had to pay.

"She is a prosecutor, currently working in Los Angeles," Justice continued. "I want you to kill her."

"That can be arranged."

Justice had to stop herself from jumping up with joy. This would be easier than she thought.

"You will have to destroy this phone within a few minutes of the end of our conversation," de Killer added. _Right, of course,_ she thought. That's why she'd bought a burner phone about a month before she had made this call.

"I know," Justice said. "So you'll do it?"

"…I can."

Was it too tacky to say thank you? Justice wasn't sure. But she felt like things were finally started to look up. Franziska was going to die. What a present. And it wasn't even Justice's birthday! Justice didn't care the cost. Franziska was the reason her father was dead. She hadn't killed him with her own hands, but she had practically put the noose around his neck. And know she would know how it felt.

 _Except…_ Justice suddenly felt a brief moment of panic. "Franziska has worked closely with Naomi Akiyama. No doubt she'll investigate the murder. She's one of the best detectives in the world. Make sure you cover up your tracks," Justice couldn't help but say.

 _Of course, it would never be that easy._ Justice hadn't even thought of Naomi. An esteemed detective at 23, Naomi Akiyama transferred over from an agency in London two years ago, and she was nothing short of a genius. She graduated college at 16 and became a detective shortly after.

"…" Silence on the other end from de Killer. Had she made him nervous with this new information? Surely he'd heard of her. Naomi had been making quite a name for herself. I'm surprised she hadn't been taken out already by a hit someone else may have put on her. "I do not need your warnings."

"O-Oh…Right. I-I'm sorry," Justice stuttered out. "I just wanted to make sure you were aware."

"Oh, I'm aware." There was something sinister in de Killer's voice; the tone came through even with the distortion. "It will be handled."

 **Date: April 24, 2024 Time: 3:36 AM** **  
** **Location: Edgeworth's Bedroom**

As soon as Miles Edgeworth heard the first loud ring of his phone, he groaned. For a moment, he thought it was morning, but the lack of sunlight shining through his curtains told him otherwise. He had already been up late reading some old case files and was looking forward to some much needed sleep. Such was the life of a prosecutor.

He briefly thought of the situation with Wright at the Hazakura Temple all those years ago. But what were the chances that Phoenix Wright would take another nasty spill and Larry Butz would call him in need of his services yet again?

…Actually, he didn't like those odds.

Then again, he hadn't heard anything from Wright since his disbarment five years ago. The entire situation seemed a bit suspicious, but Wright had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth since then. He had heard an odd rumor about him having become a pianist at a restaurant, but even Edgeworth knew that to be ridiculous. _Phoenix Wright, piano player?_ The thought had almost made him laugh when he first heard it.

Still, he rolled over and picked up his phone, squinting his eyes at the brightness of the screen, and answered, placing the phone to his ear.

"Edgeworth speaking."

"…Mr. Edgeworth! You gotta get down to the hospital, quick, pal!" Detective Dick Gumshoe said on the other end. He and Gumshoe had worked together for a number of years. He had come to respect Gumshoe's grit and ability to make through all of his many, many salary cuts.

His urgent voice caused Edgeworth to sit up in bed almost immediately. Was it Kay? Wright? Even Larry? "Gumshoe? What is it?"

"It's…It's Ms. von Karma! She's been stabbed!"

Edgeworth thought he'd been sucker-punched, but, that wasn't possible. Yet the wind felt like it'd been knocked out of him anyway. Franziska von Karma, the woman who became his adoptive sister when he was taken in by her father when Edgeworth's father was murdered when he was nine. They grew up together and had taken the same path towards prosecution, a road molded after Manfred von Karma.

"Wh-What?" Edgeworth managed to say. He didn't realize his hands were shaking until he almost dropped his phone onto the bed.

"We're at the crime scene now, at People Park. Ms. von Karma's been taken to the hospital. It's not looking good, pal," Gumshoe said solemnly.

Edgeworth managed to say something about being there as soon as possible, then hung up the phone and stumbled through the darkness to change into proper clothes. His thoughts were swirling all over the place. Who would stab her? Surely she had her enemies, but who would be foolish enough to go after a prosecutor?

He told himself that Franziska would be okay. She was tougher than almost anyone. _It's not looking good, pal…_ Gumshoe's words echoed in his mind like a loudspeaker. He couldn't lose her. He thought back to when she had been shot in the shoulder. Even then, despite the fact that she was still up and moving, he was concerned during the entire day. It was a wonder he had even made it through that trial.

He rushed to the hospital as fast as he could, but nobody would tell him anything. "I'm family!" he would exclaim, both frustrated and terrified. Finally, a doctor emerged and told him that she lost a lot of blood and hadn't woken up yet. But, she was in stable condition.

When he was able to see her in her hospital room, that's when he felt himself almost completely unravel. There, in the bed, she didn't look like the unrelenting, determined woman that he'd known since she was two years old. The whip that he was so accustomed to seeing in her hand was nowhere to be found. He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. He could see her steady breathing. She looked so…vulnerable.

"Franziska…" he whispered.

He half-expected her to open her eyes at that, even though the doctor had expressly told him that he wasn't sure when she would wake up. Franziska never fully forgave Edgeworth for leaving her behind when they were kids, even though he hadn't even realized he'd done such a thing. The last conversation they'd had was about that very topic.

But now…he didn't know what he'd do if he'd lost her. Franziska von Karma, who knew and understood him better than anyone at this point. They'd grown up in the same environment, the same pressures to be perfect, and had each realized that there was more to being a prosecutor than perfection. They'd each learned how to break free of Manfred von Karma's shadow.

"You're not allowed to leave me behind just yet," he breathed softly. His eyes traveled to the heart monitor every so often, afraid that at any given moment something would go wrong. "That would be horrible payback."

 _"What are you doing worrying about me, you foolish fool? Go and find the person who did this!"_ He could practically hear her say it. Edgeworth knew that's what she'd say to him if she could. She'd crack her whip in her hands and look at him with those beautiful, icy gray eyes.

Edgeworth nodded, although she hadn't really spoken. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. He knew he would've been whipped for sure if she'd been awake for that. "I'll find the person who did this to you," he declared. "And I will have him tried and found guilty in court."

 **Date: April 24, 2024 Time: 4:57 AM** **  
** **Location: People Park**

Naomi Akiyama had a process of working. Namely, don't get in her way. Which is why, when she arrived to her latest crime scene, she was surprised to see a certain black-haired, magenta-wearing prosecutor barking out orders to her police force.

Okay, she wasn't in charge of the police force per se, but they would be close to helpless without her.

Naomi knew she was somewhat late to getting there. But, in her defense, she was a heavy sleeper. Actually, she was awake, but watching reruns of the Pink Princess on TV. Just a guilty pleasure of hers. And when she'd decided to check her phone, she found more than a few calls from Detective Gumshoe. So she slowly got herself ready and made herself a cup of coffee before heading over to the crime scene in jeans and a hoodie.

Of course, she listened to the messages. Prosecutor Franziska von Karma had been stabbed almost fatally. She'd worked with von Karma on a few cases. She was one of the few that Naomi actually liked. Naomi hadn't worked in Los Angeles for long, having come from the United Kingdom, but she found the people far less entertaining in L.A.

She walked to the entrance of the park with a thermos full of coffee in her hands. Naomi had heard about Miles Edgeworth. She'd even spoken to him once or twice. And she was fully aware of the special place in his heart that Franziska held, and vice versa.

"There _must_ be some clue he left behind, Detective!" She could hear Edgeworth say. Detective Gumshoe looked apologetic. He said something, but she was too far away to hear.

Other officers were huddled together, while some were busy looking around the park. Naomi sighed. This was going to be a long day. There was police tape wrapped around the entrance to the park, and some blood on the freshly cut green grass where Franziska supposedly fell when she was stabbed. One officer was carrying a bag with a whip inside of it.

"Mr. Edgeworth," Naomi said, coming to a stop in front of the two of them. "Good morning."

"Morning, Miss Akiyama." His eyes were tired and frazzled. Not a good combination.

"What brings you out here? It's still early, we can do the investigating and you can come back in the morning," Naomi said, knowing full well that he had come straight from the hospital.

"No, I need to be here," Edgeworth said, shaking his head.

"Hmm…" Naomi pursed her lips. He was going to be a problem, she just knew it. "How is Franziska?"

His eyes went dark. "Stable. For now."

Naomi nodded, then turned her attention to Gumshoe. "So, what've we got?"

"Ms. von Karma was stabbed in the lower back on her way home from the Prosecutor's Office. She must've cut through the park here. A bystander called it in about an hour ago. We thought it was a standard mugging. She didn't have her purse on her when the ambulance arrived," Gumshoe said.

"But it's not a mugging?" Naomi asked.

Gumshoe shook his head and held up an evidence bag. Inside it: a single card. On the card: a pink shell.

Naomi's eyes widened and she snatched it from Gumshoe's hands. _So it would be an interesting day, after all._ "Is this…?" She tried not to smile…it wasn't the right time for that, and they would surely look at her like she was insane.

"de Killer's card," Edgeworth said. "Precisely."

Everyone on the force knew about de Killer: the assassin that'd been around for over 100 years. And now…Naomi would get to catch him. She had no unsolved cases in all the years that she'd been a detective, and that record certainly wouldn't stop now.

"You'll look for prints on this?" Edgeworth said. Naomi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Surely de Killer wouldn't be so clueless as to forget to wipe off any prints._

"Criminals have done more foolish things and made more foolish mistakes, Miss Akiyama," Edgeworth said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

 _Did I say that out loud?_ Naomi thought. Judging by the disapproving look he was giving her, she had done just that. Naomi just shrugged. "I'm just saying. Of course we should still check, but we shouldn't put our focus on that."

"I am not implying we make this our focus, Detective," Edgeworth countered. "Just that we make sure we cover all of our grounds."

Gumshoe looked between the both of them with a worried expression on his face. Naomi definitely didn't play well with others, and that was showing.

She huffed and twisted the card around in her hands. "So, someone hired de Killer to off Franziska," Naomi started. "Now who would want a bold prosecutor with a strong record of convicting criminals dead?" She said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Detective, this is not a joke," Edgeworth said.

She pursed her lips again. "Just trying to lighten the mood a bit," Naomi said cheekily. "Is there protective detail on Franziska? Chances are our de Killer will try to finish the job once he realizes that he's failed."

"Yes, I personally waited until they arrived before leaving the hospital. I know all of their faces and names, and none of them could be de Killer," Edgeworth said.

 _Odd_ , Naomi thought. _It's not like de Killer to botch a hit._ "Where's the person who called it in?"

"Another officer is talking to her now. She's pretty shaken up," Gumshoe said. He gestured over to where a petite woman with curly black hair was holding herself as another officer held up a notepad and chatted with her. Beside her was a tall, brunette man that had his arm around her. "She was walking home with her boyfriend after a birthday celebration when they saw her in the park."

"Yeesh. Talk about a way to end a birthday," Naomi said. She squinted a bit to get a better look at the officer. "Ugh, no, why is _Jenkins_ interviewing the witnesses?" Naomi didn't work with her often, and with good reason. She wasn't fond of Justice Jenkins. She'd had a little breakdown after her father was sentenced to prison for serial murder. It was right after Naomi had joined; so she wasn't present on the case, but she'd arrived just in time for the meltdown. Justice took a leave of absence after that, but she'd been back for about six months now and assured everyone that she was fine, which Naomi didn't believe for a second. And she certainly didn't want to work with incompetent officers.

"I thought the Chief put her on paperwork duty," Naomi groaned.

"Yes, is it really wise for her to be conducting the interviews?" Edgeworth agreed warily.

"Well, she's really improved and shown herself as capable, pal," Gumshoe offered.

"She's probably drawing unicorns and stick figures of her and her father on that pad, not taking notes," Naomi said harshly. Justice had always been a bit of a space-case. And when she sprang her adamant refusal to believe that her father was guilty, even though he admitted to it and was found as such beyond all reasonable doubt, Naomi was completely and utterly done with Justice Jenkins. " _I'll_ talk to them afterwards. Don't let them leave."

"No, I'll do it. You investigate, Detective," Edgeworth said.

"That's quite, alright, Mr. Edgeworth. Why don't you get some sleep?" Naomi said. And now he was encroaching on her territory? He was not going to go into this with an unbiased mind - well, most of the officers weren't, but he was too close to the victim for Naomi to want to have him as part of the investigation.

"I will be the prosecutor for this case, it's only fitting that I take part in the investigation."

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea," Naomi said.

"Why is that?"

"You're far too close to this case, Miles," Naomi said. "You should be with Franziska. Or sleeping. I am specifically going to request a different prosecutor, and I'm sure that my request will be granted due to your conflict of interest." The words came out harsher than she intended. She always did have trouble with the whole softness thing.

He folded his arms across his chest, tapping his finger against his arm. "…Very well. But I'm going to stay and help with the investigation today."

Naomi sighed. This was the best that she was going to get. "Alright." Naomi made her way over to the spot where the blood stain was. It was quite a distance from the entrance to the park. "So, she cut across the park as a shortcut?" Naomi looked at Edgeworth. "Does she do that often?"

"I…don't know," Edgeworth admitted. He felt a little upset at himself for not taking the time to figure out Franziska's habits more. And he knew that Naomi was silently scrutinizing him for his lack of information. "It certainly seems likely. It would cut the distance in half to get to her home from the Prosecutor's Office."

"Hmm," Naomi said. "de Killer must have been following her. He follows her to the park, and then bam!" She pretended to stab Edgeworth in the back with an invisible sword. He was not amused. "He stabs her. Why here though? I mean, if he was following her, of all places, why choose here?" Naomi took a sip of her coffee. "Ack, gross, I forgot to put cream in this. Blecch."

Naomi opened up the lid and tossed the remnants of the coffee onto the grass on the side. Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't speak. "What?" she said. "Did you want it?"

"…Let's get back to the investigation," was all he said. "But you do raise a valid point. Are we sure that she was walking home?"

"Yes, sir," Gumshoe butted in. "We've got footage of her leaving the office on the security cameras at the Prosecutor's Office. She was working with another officer trying to finish up some paperwork. He said she told him that she was heading home. He said she brought her purse too. That was about 2:55 AM, he said," _Leave it to Franziska to stay up until 3 Am finishing up paperwork_ , Naomi thought.

"So if we assume that she was telling the truth and was, in fact, walking home, then she would get to this area at around 3:05. She gets stabbed. de Killer leaves. Eventually someone walks by the park…when did the witness call it in?"

"Uhh, 3:17."

"She was bleeding out for twelve minutes?" Naomi said. "Actually longer. When did you arrive on the scene?"

"About 3:30."

"Correction: she bled out for 25 minutes. Give or take a few," Naomi said. She knelt down to look at the blood. There wasn't much of it. "This is for sure where she was found?"

"Yep! That it is." Gumshoe sounded oddly proud of that fact.

She felt a presence next to her and saw Edgeworth get down to her level. "That's not a lot of blood," Edgeworth mused. "Detective, how was she found?"

"Sir?" Gumshoe said, confused.

Naomi sighed. "What did she look like when you found her?"

"Oh! Well, she was lying on her stomach. A single stab wound to the back. There was no knife found at the scene, though."

Naomi looked at Edgeworth. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion as her. _Alright, guess you'll be useful after all._ "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Naomi said to him.

"If you're going to kill someone, why not make sure they fall on their back, where the wound was, so that the bleed out faster?" Edgeworth questioned. "This is…"

"Mediocre," Naomi interrupted. "If I were de Killer, I wouldn't have been this sloppy."

"I wasn't going to say mediocre, but…your point does stand," Edgeworth admitted.

"And, why not go for a straight kill shot?" Naomi continued. "Why not go for the jugular or a major artery?" Naomi studied the card that she'd forgotten was in her hand. "You follow someone, decide to stab them in the park, but a non-lethal stab wound. Still took her purse." Naomi could feel her disappointment growing. _de Killer, why be clumsy on the case that I'm working? You're not making this fun at all._

Suddenly, her eyes widened as she looked at the card. Of course. It had been too obvious. Plus it was too sloppy of a job. "Well, I'm hungry. Anybody want breakfast?" Naomi said.

"Well, I could go for some…" Gumshoe started.

"Excuse me, Detective…?" Edgeworth said, bewildered. "You can't seriously be thinking of food at a time like this?!"

"This case shouldn't take long after all," Naomi told him, holding up the bag. "This isn't de Killer's card. I'm kind of craving pancakes."

"What do you mean it's not his card?" Edgeworth took it from Naomi's hands and studied it. Slowly, he got the same expression that Naomi had just seconds ago.

"What? What is it?" Gumshoe said, his shoulders slumped.

Naomi folded her arms across her chest. "The card is close, but not exact. I've studied de Killer's cards well enough to know that this is not the same shade as his usual cards. Moreover, the shell's spiral is too long, and de Killer's shell has three parts, not four. A cheap knockoff." Naomi said dejectedly.

"Well, don't look so down," Edgeworth scolded. "This is good. This person is sloppy and careless. We will catch this copycat and bring him to justice."


	2. Chapter 2

**Date: April 24, 2024 Time: 5:15 AM Location: People Park**

Miles Edgeworth, had, of course, heard the stories about Naomi Akiyama. She was brilliant, cunning, and highly difficult to work with. Of course, he had done his research on her when she first arrived on the scene.

Naomi Akiyama was orphaned at the age of three, and spent most of her time at an orphanage in London until the age of ten. Miles couldn't find any information about the orphanage itself, truly; her file simply stated that it existed and Naomi was a previous occupant. She gained a reputation for her deductive reasoning skills, but that reputation was met with people finding her to be an odd and somewhat brash character. She didn't go out much and didn't have many friends on the force (or outside of it).

With the benefit of the doubt, Miles knew what that was like. He considered himself to be the same way years ago. He wondered, however, if there were any truth to the rumors about her. He was eager to know that the genius detective would be handling the case, because it made him even more sure that with their skills together, they would catch the culprit in no time at all. But, as he spoke to her at length, he could feel his frustration for the young detective growing.

He saw the small smile she tried to hide when de Killer's card was presented to her and the disappointment that crossed over her face when she realized it was a fake. She obviously didn't want him there. She claimed it was for his conflict of interest, and she was right in that regards. Miles Edgeworth tried his best to keep it together and professional, and he was sure he was doing a pretty good job of it until Naomi arrived on the scene. But, like it or not, he was determined to work on this case.

For the sake of the witness, Miles accompanied Naomi to question the witness, much to the latter's chagrin. The two of them, Kate Garra and Trent Millet were huddled together. Naomi strutted past Justice, who tried to give a report of the interview; however, Naomi didn't want to hear it. She wasn't interested in Justice's musings, even if they were direct quotes from the witnesses themselves. In her eyes, Justice had yet to earn any credibility as an officer. Miles didn't miss the dirty look that Justice shot at Naomi when the latter brushed past her with an obvious disdain.

Naomi and Miles arrived at the witnesses. When they stopped in front of them, Kate broke free of Trent's embrace and took a small step forward.

"Um…they-they wouldn't tell us anything. Please, can you tell us if-if the woman we found will be alright?" Kate said meekly.

Naomi, holding a pen and a notepad, started lightly chewing on the top of the pen. "She'll be fine. Actually, she should heal quite nicely. Whoever did the stabbing did a mediocre job at best," Naomi said brashly.

Miles was usually a patient man, but he found himself trying not to exclaim _why in the hell she would say that?_ Franziska was stable, yes, but what she was saying was not something she should be saying to them. He tried to shoot her a glance with his eyes, but she paid no mind to him, instead looking directly at the two of them.

"Oh really? It looked pretty bad," Trent said, a valley accent thick in his voice.

"Yeah, well, that's why we have professionals," Naomi said. She seemed completely unaware of the attitude that she was giving off. It didn't seem in any way intentional…it just sounded like the natural way that her response came out.

"Y-You're right," Kate said. "I'm glad she'll be okay." She sighed with relief. "It really freaked us out when…when…" Kate drifted off as Miles stared, dumbfounded at Naomi. In the middle of Kate's talking, she had waltzed up to her and studied her face from only inches away. She did the same to Trent.

"Um, what the hell?" Trent said, backing away from her.

Miles Edgeworth didn't get embarrassed easily, but he knew his face was turning red. With frustration or embarrassment, however, was yet to be decided. "Detective!" He said as sternly as he could. "What exactly are you doing?" He stared her down, expecting an answer.

Instead of answering his question, Naomi merely stepped back, tapping her pen against her chin. " _I'd_ like to ask you some questions about what you saw." Miles didn't miss the inflection in her tone. Not only that, he was still reeling at her completely unprofessional actions.

"O-Of course. That other officer already questioned us, though…?" Kate said. It was clear that she was unsettled by the odd detective.

" _We'd_ like to ask some follow-up questions, if that's alright," Edgeworth added. He didn't need Naomi making any snide comments about Officer Jenkins. To be honest, he wasn't sure of what to think of her either. He didn't work with Justice personally, in any of his cases, but he heard of what happened. He understood Naomi's apprehension, at the very least.

Naomi looked at him pointedly this time, then brought the pen back up to her mouth. "So you two were on your way back from a birthday celebration?"

Trent nodded. "Yah, a good buddy of mine just turned 21. We decided to go bar-hopping to celebrate, then ended up at UltraClub. Partied there for a bit. Then got tired and left. We found the body as we were walking back home." Everything about him annoyed Naomi.

"Where do you live?" Edgeworth asked.

"21st Street. Ironic, huh? That we live on 21st street and my buddy was celebrating his 21st birthday?" Trent said.

"I'm not sure you know what ironic means," Naomi deadpanned.

"In any case," Edgeworth said. "You decided to go through the park?" That made no sense. That would've made the trip longer. 21st street was on the opposite side of the park. One could walk on the sidewalk that bordered the park, but would eventually have to turn right, away from the park. Cutting across would take you left.

Kate shook her head. "No. We weren't going to. But we walked past the entrance, and we could see what looked like a body under the street lights. That's when we decided to take a closer look. A-And then we…we saw her there…" Kate got a faraway look in her eyes, as though she couldn't possibly fathom having seen a body like that.

"How did she look?" Edgeworth said. He didn't like to constantly have to hear about it, but he forced himself through it.

"Um, we saw her back, it looked like she'd been stabbed, and then we called the police. We didn't see anyone when we arrived," Kate explained. "Then we waited here for the police to arrive."

"I see…" Edgeworth said. Nothing out of the ordinary there. A standard witness testimony. Still, something seemed off. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something that was likely blaring him right in the face. "Was there anything out of the ordinary about the body?"

Kate shook her head. "I-I don't know; I've never seen a body like that before. Um…it looked like there was something in her hand…?" She offered.

"In her hand?"

"Yes, like a card or something. I thought that was a bit strange, but I figured it must've just been an ID card or something. That would be the only thing," Kate said. "Especially since she didn't have a purse or anything."

 _De Killer's card,_ Edgeworth thought. Or, the copycat's, at least. He figured that there were sick people out there who actually reveled in the mystery of de Killer and wanted to carry out their own hits in his name. Edgeworth was revolted at the thought: that there were people who would commit such acts all because they wished to be like an assassin. And for Franziska to be the victim… He had to find the person responsible.

Miles glanced over at Naomi, who had kept a straight face. She was thoughtfully chewing on the pen top, though. Whoever was responsible for the crime had obviously made sure to cover his or her tracks. First, Miles would have to strip away the impossible, then, with whatever was left…well, you know the rest.

"Hm. Well, thank you for your cooperation," Miles still couldn't shake that feeling about these two witnesses, but his mind was clouded with a million different thoughts, and he regretted to admit that Naomi might've been right. "We will likely be contacting you again-"

"You specifically saw the card?" Naomi suddenly said, and Miles realized that Naomi had said much at all during the conversation with the witnesses after from her deadpan comment.

Kate nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Where? Which hand?" Naomi pressed.

"It was in her left hand."

"You're absolutely sure?"

"Yes."

"And you, Mr. Millet?" Naomi turned her attention on to him.

"Me? I saw it after Kate pointed it out."

"You pointed it out?" Naomi said. She chewed on top of her pen before scribbling something down in her notepad. "I see." What was she getting at? Miles couldn't quite figure it out.

"You seem awfully sober," Naomi commented without looking up from writing on her notepad. "You party until 3 AM for a friend's birthday, walk down to the park, notice the body, walk into the park, notice the card, and even now you both seem perfectly fine."

"Well, we didn't drink all that much," Kate said. "It was mostly just to take our friend out."

"I see," Naomi said, a smile evident on her face. It was actually…kind of creepy. Miles didn't see much to smile about in this case, so he failed to see why she had done so. "How much did you drink, would you say?"

Trent shrugged. "We drank a little bit, but once it got to be like 1 AM and we made it to the club, we just wanted to dance. And we had to make sure he didn't get to drunk," Trent said with a laugh. "21 and all."

"How many of you were at this celebration?" More scribbling by Naomi.

"Me and Trent, of course. Our friend Paul, who just turned 21. And another two friends of ours, Jackie and Violet," Kate said. "Why do you ask?"

Naomi ignored her question. "And where is our good buddy, Paul?"

"Ah…er…" Kate's face flushed with embarrassment. "He seemed to hit it off with a woman at the club, so they…left to…"

"We've got the picture," Edgeworth said, cutting her off.

"I don't. What did they leave to do?" Naomi asked. Miles couldn't figure out what exactly she was getting at with her questions.

"Well…probably sleep together," Kate said sheepishly.

"I see…" Naomi started writing again. Miles gaped at her. What could she possibly be writing? "You've been most helpful."

"So, are we free to go?" Trent asked.

Naomi already started to walk away from them when they asked their question. She stared at her notepad, tapping the pen to her chin as she did so. Miles sighed and turned to the witnesses. "You are free to go. Please stay in the area in case we have any additional questions." They both nodded and Miles caught up to Naomi before she got too far away.

"Detective," Edgeworth said. "What was that back there?"

Naomi paused and turned to him. "They didn't smell like alcohol," she said without missing a beat. "When I got up close to them, their breath didn't smell like alcohol in the slightest."

Miles could feel his eyes bulging out of his head. Naomi Akiyama would be the death of him. Somehow, she was even worse than Gumshoe. "You mean to tell me…You invaded their personal space so that you could get a whiff of their breath?!"

"And their clothes," she pointed out. "And, that wasn't an invasion of personal space. There is no such thing as personal space. There's just 'space.'"

"So if I were to come incredibly close to you, you would not consider that to be an invasion of personal space?"

"Miles Edgeworth, are you flirting with me?" She said jokingly, but Miles was less than amused. He saw now why she was considered difficult to work with. She had said it just to get under his skin.

"What does it matter if they weren't drinking?"

"They were at a club. Even if they didn't drink themselves, the UltraClub reeks of alcohol and desperation. The alcohol should've at least been more potent," Naomi said.

"So, are you saying that you think they had something to do with this crime?"

"I'm not saying anything. I'm merely making an observation," Naomi corrected. "Where's Justice gone off to? I want to see the notes she's written down."

"Perhaps I'll get them from her," Miles said warily.

"Alright," Naomi agreed quickly. Almost too quickly for Miles's sake. "The less I have to interact with her, the better. Who was the officer that Franziska was with last? I want to speak with him as well."

"You are mistaken. It was a legal aide, not an officer, _Fraulein_ , whom Franziska last spoke to."

Naomi cringed. She knew that voice anywhere. Yet, she knew it was coming. He _was_ to be the prosecutor when they caught the culprit. She turned and saw Klavier Gavin, rock-and-roll prosecutor extraordinaire, strolling towards them with a strut in his step. His blonde hair had gotten much longer from the last time she saw him. His silver necklace hung off the side of his neck, and he looked like he had just walked straight off of a stage. He was holding a cup of coffee in his hand.

He took of his shades as he approached. "Prosecutor Gavin. The sun isn't even up. Are the sunglasses necessary?" Naomi said.

"It's a bit bright in this park," Klavier said, unfazed. "And I have to have something to shield my eyes from your beauty, _liebling_." He turned to Edgeworth. "Herr Edgeworth, a pleasure to see you again."

Klavier was, officially, a prosecuting attorney. However, on the side, he also was the lead singer in his own band, the Gavinners. They were actually pretty successful, and so he'd taken some time off to focus work on the music. During his time studying to be a prosecutor, he studied in German for two years, which he never let anyone forget with his common usage of certain German words.

Miles was very familiar with Klavier. After all, he was the lawyer who was responsible for Phoenix Wright's disbarment. Although he was certain that there was more to that situation than met the eye, there was no doubt in Miles's mind that Klavier was a gifted prosecutor.

Miles shook his hand. "Yours as well, Mr. Gavin."

Naomi, however, scoffed. "You're flirting with me at a crime scene, Prosecutor. Someone was stabbed here. Just let that soak in for a bit."

"Ah ha ha," Klavier chuckled. "Fiesty as always, _liebling_."

Naomi clicked her teeth. "What are you even doing here? You hate investigative work."

"Ja. But when I heard that it was Franziska von Karma, I had to come and see for myself. And I also heard that you were on the case. I couldn't pass up such an opportunity," Klavier said with one of his cocky smiles.

"That's not necessary," Naomi said. "Prosecutor Edgeworth is here assisting me." The comment took Edgeworth by surprise. She hadn't wanted him anywhere near the scene earlier, and now she was willing to have him there instead of Klavier. Although, her comment about him "assisting" her rubbed him the wrong way. Also, Miles wondered why she didn't forcibly make him stop calling her "darling."

"The more the merrier, I say, ja?" Klavier leaned forward. Naomi didn't budge.

"You're welcome to investigate. _I'm_ going to get some breakfast," she said. "And go over what we've gotten so far."

"You're going to eat? We need to figure out our next steps?" Miles demanded.

"I rushed over here. I can't think properly on an empty stomach. You're more than welcome to join me, Mr. Edgeworth," Naomi offered. The offer took him by surprise, but nevertheless, Miles nodded. He wouldn't pass up the opportunity to pick her brain for what to do next. "Alright. There's a 24-hour diner nearby. I need some coffee."

"Up late watching Pink Princess?" Klavier teased. Naomi's lip twitched ever so slightly. She didn't respond. She was thinking of hiring this person to off Klavier. They would botch it, so he wouldn't die from it. Win-win. "Ah ha ha," he laughed and held out the cup of coffee. "For you. Extra cream. Just the way you like it."

Naomi wanted to refuse it, but her love of coffee eventually won over and she practically snatched the cup from his hands, some of it splashing a bit onto the lid. She hated the smug look he got on his face when she accepted it. " _Thank you_ ," she muttered begrudgingly. Miles thought back and realized that was the first time he'd heard her say 'thank you.' "Feel free to investigate the crime scene. I'll be back shortly."

"Of course, _meine dame_ ," Klavier said, the same teasing smile on his face. Naomi half-wanted to slap it right off of him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Date: April 24, 2024 Time: 5:37 AM  
Location: Becky's Diner**

Miles should've known exactly what he was getting himself into when he agreed to have breakfast with Naomi. She certainly wasn't joking when she said that she was hungry. Miles warily took a sip of his Earl Grey tea as he watched Naomi scarf down a plate of blueberry pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. Her stomach was like a never-ending vacuum. She'd already gone through Klavier's coffee plus an additional cup, and was in the middle of smearing apple butter onto a biscuit when Miles finally cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we should start discussing the case in detail…?" Miles asked.

"Hmm?" She said, her mouth full of biscuit. She quickly chewed and swallowed. "Oh, right, right. Man, I love apple butter. You've got to try some."

"Maybe later," he said, tapping his fingers against his thigh underneath the table. He mentally reminded himself that she was one of the best, so he would have to tolerate her behavior…for now.

She could sense his disdain at her etiquette. "You know, maybe if you ate something you wouldn't be as crabby," she pointed out simply, taking another bite of her biscuit and gesturing towards him.

"Actually, I find that tea does wonders for calming people down," he said. Never before had someone tried his patience so much. Although, he expected his lack of sleep and frazzled state of being to be a huge part of his lack thereof. "Now, I want to get your thoughts about the case."

Naomi sighed, placing the unfinished biscuit on the plate. She picked up the mug of coffee and brought up to her lips. "Seems clearcut, doesn't it? Someone has deluded themselves into thinking that they are de Killer. Quite disappointing really. They did a terrible job. Can't even kill someone properly."

"Yes, let's be grateful for that," Miles said, right at the heels of her statement. "Shall we get to the point, then?"

"To be honest, I'm not interested in a non-lethal stabbing. Such a small crime, and I did just solve a case of a serial rapist. And the New York eco-terrorist bombings. There are far better cases that I would be working on right now," Naomi said, clearly bragging. "But I am intrigued by this case." Naomi picked up the spoon she'd used to stir the cream and sugar into her coffee and lightly bit down on the top of it.

He took a sip of his tea. "What I want to know…is if this was truly a random act, or if the person masquerading as de Killer actually did carry out a hit that was placed on her."

"If the latter is the case, then we are virtually screwed at finding whoever hired our copycat. I'm sure Franziska has made plenty of enemies as a prosecutor. Too many people would want her dead," Naomi said.

"Nevertheless, we can round up some of her recent prosecuted cases. It's likely that the person who hired the hit did so recently, therefore their wound must be fresh."

Naomi fought the urge to wag her finger at him and instead bit down on the top of her spoon again. "Don't be so sure. De Killer is committed to his job. Has he not go to such lengths in the past? Surely you can't have forgotten."

Miles rose his eyebrows in slight surprise. It was true, while investigating a case, he'd come across de Killer. He'd, in a sense, worked with him on a case about five years ago. He tried to capture him afterwards, he was able to evade the police.

"Honestly, working with a serial murderer," Naomi said disapprovingly. "If I were you, I would have had him arrested the second I found out his true identity." Of course, she'd done her research on the cases. de Killer was a big name, and she'd spent countless hours reading articles and case files about him. To her, it seemed like the police had plenty of ample chances to catch de Killer in each case Miles had crossed paths with him.

Miles tapped his leg a little harder. "We acted in regards to the circumstances given."

"I mean honestly, cuff him to a wall or something and have an officer watching him at all times."

"…Detective, I think we should get back to the case at hand," Miles said through gritted teeth. There was a part of him that was grateful that it had only been a copycat; he didn't know what he'd do if the person that he'd let slip through his grasp and escape ended up murdering Franziska. _His_ Franziska.

"Fine. I'm only saying," Naomi started. "Yes, you should look into those recent cases, but there's a chance that it may have been quite some time since then. Wasn't she just awarded that awful King of Prosecutors trophy? It was all over the paper. Anybody with a vengeance from any of her previous cases could have seen that and decided that they could possibly let her continue to live and keep prosecuting."

"But only the local paper," Miles pointed out. "So it would have to be someone who is at least in the Los Angeles area. Or happened to be here."

"I don't think the client should be the focus," Naomi said. "There's no point. We need to track down de Copycat."

"And if we find the client, we may be able to find-" Miles paused. "What did you just call him?"

"Well, we have to give him some kind of name," she said. Miles sighed. A long day, indeed. "We don't even know if there is a client. Like you said, there is a chance that this was just a random act."

"What are the chances of that…" Miles muttered to himself.

"Not high," Naomi said loudly. "A bit higher since her purse was missing. Although this could just be a ruse to throw us off and believe that it was a mugging after all."

"Then why go through the trouble of leaving a card?"

"Hmm," Naomi leaned back in her seat. "That's true. Maybe the stabbing was intentional, but the theft was not. Our copycat got hungry and wanted to stop for breakfast afterwards, but forgot his wallet."

"Detective, please be serious about this," Edgeworth said. "Franziska was almost killed! This is not a game, nor is it a joke," he said, with frustration. He brought his fingers to his forehead, closing his eyes for a moment.

"I'm not joking," Naomi said, seeming completely unbothered by his outburst. "It's a distinct possibility. Although there is a less than 1% chance of that being true, it's not impossible." She took a sip of her coffee. "I still don't believe that you should be on this case, and your outburst just proved why."

"Yet you invited me to accompany you for breakfast."

Naomi gripped the handle of her mug a little tighter. "I have my reasons."

"I suppose Prosecutor Gavin was one of those reasons," Miles said, and Naomi refused to look at him in response. A part of him was curious as to their situation, but then realized that he didn't _really_ care, nor did he need to know.

"As I said before, I have my reasons," Naomi finally said. The words came out slower this time, and more deliberate.

"No matter. The fact of it is that you've invited me here, and you've already told me this much, therefore, it's likely that I'll be working with you on these investigations, even if I am not the lead prosecutor," Miles said, sipping his tea.

Naomi pursed her lips. "I suppose you could be useful." She stabbed into her hash browns with her fork. "Don't you think it's odd?"

"What is?"

"That this card would show up," Naomi mused.

Miles thought for a moment. He was sure that she was testing him, and he didn't want to play along in her little game of seeing if he would be a worthy companion, but he was willing to this time around. It seemed to be the only way to get her to trust in his abilities enough. He tapped his finger against his thigh and took a sip of his tea with his other hand. She'd stopped eating by this point and watched him with a curious eye, the tip of the spoon at her mouth again.

Certainly, the idea of a copycat seemed strange. If it was indeed a copycat, they would've had to fool whoever their client was into thinking that they were actually the true de Killer. In that case, how would said person have contacted de Killer and known that the source was reliable? They had to have asked for proof…right? There was no way de Killer's first meeting with them would be in person, not until he verified their intentions. Miles thought back to all the previous times he'd encountered de Killer. He went by the name of John Doe. Perhaps he could see if any persons who went by that name crossed paths with Franziska.

And why go through the trouble of making a card that was deliberately a fake? A copycat would likely want to leave the exact same card, hence why they would be called a copycat. Unless they held a mentality that they would never be as good as the original, in which case they wouldn't want their mark to be exactly the same. _The card…the card…_ No doubt Naomi had already figured it out and was waiting for him to come to the same conclusion. It was a bit annoying to Miles, but he knew that he'd pulled the same thing in his career more than a few times.

This person admired Shelly de Killer, that was without question, and wanted to emulate what he'd done. But…why? Wait…maybe that was it. The clue came crashing to Miles all at once.

"You've been staring in this direction for about three minutes. Are you sure you don't want to try this apple butter?" Naomi said. She was now stuffing another biscuit with apple butter into her mouth. She held it out to him.

"That's quite alright," he said quickly. "But I've just been thinking…Shelly de Killer hasn't been on the record for five years. There have been incidents of his card being left at any crime scenes, to my knowledge, all over the world. I have strict informants that are told to let me know when de Killer strikes."

Naomi smiled - the same smile she'd gotten when Kate told her that they didn't drink a lot on their outing. "I have the same," she said, and Miles wondered just who her informants may be. "And I was thinking that too. A copycat appears five years after de Killer's trail goes cold. Why wait this long?"

"Maybe they did show up, but the authority realized the card was a fraud and so it was never reported to either of us nor treated it as an act of de Killer," Miles suggested. "Or…no." He corrected himself almost immediately. "The card is close enough that I'm almost certain it wouldn't slip my knowledge."

Naomi nodded. "I've been waiting for a moment for de Killer to show himself again so that I can finally bring him to justice. I would know of any instances. It seems more likely that a copycat would spring up about a year after de Killer's inactivity. Not five. It's not impossible for the latter to be the case, but I think something else is going on."

"Such as?"

Naomi drummed her fingers on the table. "I believe that you and I are likely thinking the same of de Killer." Miles subtly shook his head, allowing her to continue. "As you know, Shelly de Killer has been around for over 100 years. Our 'John Doe' was the third. It's about time for a new de Killer to take up the mantle. The next successor."

Miles blinked a few times. He certainly hadn't been thinking that. But, it was possible. "You believe that the person who did this is the next person in line for the de Killer name?"

"I don't believe anything. The card is obviously different, which has never been the case in any of the instances, so I'm inclined to believe otherwise. However, I don't think this should be ignored-" Naomi said.

"Objection!" Miles interrupted, on instinct.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "We're not in a courtroom. You don't need to say that."

"Gnnh…Apologies…force of habit," Miles said. "But perhaps, but it would be more likely to be a copycat. The person who attempted the hit was unsuccessful in killing their intended victim, and they did a sloppy job of it. de Killer is a trained assassin. Surely it wouldn't stand for said person to do such a job."

Naomi clicked her teeth at him. "No. I thought it was sloppy at first. Now I think it may have been deliberate. Recall what we said before. If he wanted to kill her, he easily could have. Either way, the person was trailing Franziska and waited for a moment for her to be completely alone, away from street cameras. He also made sure to not be caught on any of the ones that caught Franziska walking. He's obviously smart. Yet he went for the lower back on the left side. There were no signs of struggle, so he must have come up behind her, grabbed her, and chosen to stab her in the back. She falls. He places the car in her hand, takes her purse, and leaves."

"So he never wanted to kill her after all?" Miles said. _This overwhelming feeling must be how Wright usually feels,_ Miles thought. "A copycat…or successor…that doesn't kill? Who would hire someone for that?" Miles sighed warily. "I think the random mugging seems more plausible at this point."

Naomi had her elbows on the table and both of her hands balled into fists at her mouth as she concentrated. Her mind ran through every possible explanation, both logical and convoluted. If the card hadn't been there, there would be no doubt in her mind that it was a random mugging. However, if that card had been there and Franziska had actually been killed, there would be no doubt in her mind that a copycat was lurking in the shadows somewhere. But this…this was something in between. She thought of the possibility of de Killer's next successor before. But Miles was right. Any normal de Killer wouldn't act this way. As much as she despised criminals like de Killer, there was a certain creed they followed. This wasn't sloppy, it was…toying with them. _Catch me…if you can_ , it seemed to say. Or, maybe it was her brain hoping for some excitement in this case.

Naomi thought to the witnesses. There was something suspicious about them. She could easily go to UltraClub, but it would be nearly impossible for someone to verify seeing them there. She made a mental note to get in touch with Paul and the other of their friends. Their story was clear enough, but since they were the ones that found her, it did put added pressure on them. Naomi thought back to when she questioned them. She'd deliberately told them that Franziska would be fine and the mediocrity of the job; if one of them was in fact the culprit, they would likely show up to finish the job. Neither of them flinched either. Her comment about the mediocrity had been mostly to gauge their reactions. They seemed shocked, but it wasn't any unexpected type of reaction.

Naomi picked up Justice's blue notepad that was next to her own and flipped to the notes. They were also pretty mediocre. She'd written a few words here and there, and what she _did_ write matched up with the responses that Naomi and Miles got during their questioning. The name of the club was written, Paul's full name was written, as was the time they found the body and what they saw. It didn't make Naomi change her opinion of Justice, but she was grateful that Justice could do this much.

"You wrote a lot in your notepad when we were questioning them," Miles noted.

Naomi held up her own notepad. "Oh this?" She flipped it open to the page she had written on. "I was coming up with my grocery list. If I don't do it, I'll just forget and then it becomes a whole thing," she waved it off as Miles gaped at her. _Eggs, coffee, creamer…_ Miles could barely believe it.

"Detective…you mean to tell me that during questioning you didn't write down anything?!"

Naomi shrugged. "I don't need to." She tapped her forehead. "I can remember it. Surely an esteemed prosecutor such as yourself has enough of a memory too."

"Well, if you can't remember your own grocery list, how do you expect to remember their testimony," Miles grumbled. _And she'd had the nerve to say that Justice was likely drawing unicorns on her notepad,_ Miles thought. _This girl was unbelievable!_

Before Naomi could respond, she heard the gentle sound of her phone's beeping ringtone. She looked at her flip phone, which was on the table next to her coffee, and groaned when she saw the name. However, she couldn't ignore that he may have actually done some investigating and found something. She answered. "Hello?"

" _Liebling_ , you will not believe what your good Detective Gumshoe has found," Klavier said, amusement in his voice.

"Why doesn't Detective Gumshoe tell me then instead of you?" Naomi said boredly.

"Ah ha ha. It seems Herr Detective is a little intimidated of you," Klavier responded with a light laugh.

She sighed. "What do you have to report, Prosecutor Gavin?" Naomi said formally.

"We've found Franziska's purse. It was in a trash can outside in a gas station about two minutes from People Park," Klavier finally said. Naomi sat up a little straighter. As if reading her mind, Klavier continued. "The wallet and her cell phone are inside. There is money in the wallet. Quite a bit too. Obviously we will have to check to see if the credit card was used, but it seems unlikely."

 _What?_ Naomi closed her eyes, the phone still up to her ear. So the person took her purse, only to toss it not far from the Park? And there was still money inside, so it's not like he took all of the money, or most of it, then tossed the rest in the trash. Why? What was the point? To make it _look_ like a mugging? But if he wanted to make it appear as such, why throw it away so close to the crime scene, where the police would _definitely_ sweep the area?

"Also, this may be unrelated, but it was found at a Shell gas station," Klavier noted in a tone that made it obviously that he thought it was related. There were two gas stations near People Park, and only one of them was the Shell…Did the person choose that deliberately or by chance?

"I'll be there shortly," Naomi said. She had to go and see for herself. "And if you can find that legal aide, please let her know that I would like to speak to her."

"Ah, am I your assistant now?" Klavier teased. Before Naomi could respond, he spoke again. "I will let our officers know your request. See you soon."

She heard the beep on the phone and closed her flip phone, turning to a confused Miles Edgeworth. "Her purse was found at the Shell gas station near the park. Wallet and phone is still there. Money is in the wallet." Miles opened his mouth, about to ask the same question that she'd thought to herself. "I know, I'm thinking it too," she said. "I want to go and take a look."

"Alright, I'll go with you."

"No," Naomi said.

"We've been over this, Detective. I will be assisting-"

"You've made that clear. But Prosecutor Gavin will be there and I don't need two prosecutors down my back. If Franziska wakes soon, we'll need to know exactly what she saw. I figure the best person for that is you," Naomi said. She was partly trying to get him out of her hair, but she also knew that she could work better this way.

"I'm not going to just sit around and wait-"

"Yes, I know," she said interrupting him again. "If you want to do something, start making a list of Franziska's recent prosecutions. But you'll be no good to us if your deductive reasoning skills suffer due to lack of sleep. You're running off adrenaline now, which is no good to me or Franziska. Get some rest," Naomi said sternly.

He hesitated for a bit, but he knew she was right. He decided that he would go visit Franziska, and attempt to compile that list she mentioned. He would also do a search for any cases with a card like this that may have slipped through his knowledge. Finally, he nodded. "I suspect a part of this is also to get me out of your hair," he mused with a raised eyebrow.

"Sounds like win-win for us both," she said with a joking smile. He gave her a tired, weary smile in return.

Naomi Akiyama, brilliant detective. If anyone would be able to piece this case together, it would be her. There was something very un-standard about this case. Something…deliberately puzzling. Miles had had some outrageous cases, but somehow, he felt like he was gearing up for a cat-and-mouse game. But he was ready, because he knew, always, that the truth will always make itself known, eventually.


End file.
